Film-developing apparatus.



J. A. ROBERTSON. FILM DEVELOPING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 1917.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

bis/1 TTORNEVS tended and held extended in contact with 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Jenn A. nonnnrrson, or ROCHESTER, New YORK, assmnon T0 EASTMAN Ko'nax com PANY, or nocnnsrnannw roux, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

FILM-DEVELOPIN G APPARATUS.

Application filed May 5,1917. Serial No. 186,557.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known 'that I, JOHN A. ROBERTSON of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements .in Film-Developing Ap aratus; and I do hereby declare the fol owing to be a-full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being 'had to the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specificatiom and to ,ther objects of the invention are to provide a device that may be produced at low cost and used by amateurs of slight experience and improvements are directed toward the manner in which the film is unrolled or exthe developing solution. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a develop-.

ing apparatus constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1

i but showing the parts in a different position;

Fig. 3 is a similar section showing still another position;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged holding end of the tan Fig. 5 is 'an enlarged bottom plan view of the film attaching end of'the cover, and

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken substantially on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the samev parts.

The present device is particularly adapted for the development of the smaller sizes of filmcartridges and it embodies a preferably rectangular elongated tank'l of sufficient length to accommodate the film strip in an extended and flat condition. At the plan view of the roll upper edges of the side walls of the tank are laterally turned side flanges 2 that are cut away at 3 near one end.. At this same end is provided a spool or roll holder embodying a transverse bar 4 supported by the side walls of the tank and s aced from the bottom thereof. The tank 1s provided with a sliding cover 5 having inturned edge flanges 6 on its side adapted to engage beneath and run on the flanges 2 of the tank in a light tight manner. The flanges 6 are cutaway at 7 at the forward or advance end of the cover so that the latter and the tank in the region of the cutaway portions 3 of the tank may he overlapped before their respective flanges are engaged or interlocked with each other. I

The said advance end of the cover is also provided with a combination light. guard and film guide .8 in the form of a depending flange, coextensive with the interior cross sectional area of the tank. The bottom of the flange is preferably curled rearwardly' as at 9 while bracket webs 10 at the sides serve to strengthen it. Just back of the flange on top of the cover is an offset bridge plate 11 preferably provided with impaling teeth 12 at its rear edge. When the cover is slid to its closed position as in Fig. 1, it engages beneath spring side clips 13 on an overhanging flange 14 at that end of the tank, which flange has a cutaway portion 15 to receivethe bridge plate 11.

The mode of operation is as follows:

A film spool 16 carrying an exposed film roll 17 is dropped into the end of the tank 1 between the bar 4 and the end wall of the Specification of Letters Petentb Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

tank Where it isconfined for rotation with I the flanges of the spool riding against the bar, as shown in Fig. 2. The film roll iswhile the cover and tank are held as in Fig.

2'with their respective flanges 6 and 2 about to be engaged or just engaged, the guard 8 being admitted to the interior'of the tank ahead of the bar 4 and the film roll 17. The tank is now 'filled with developer (indicated at 21 in Fig. 3) and the velopment has been completed, the cover is opened again or partially opened and the film strip pulled out, completely unwinding it-from the spool 16.

It will be noted that when extended the film is disposed with the sensitive surface uppermost so that bubbles are less likely to adhere thereto without being dislodged,

the body of the developer lying above the film. Thewhole device may be made out of sheet metal at a low cost and is both light and so constituted as to comprise only two parts.

I claim as my invention:

, 1. In a film developing apparatus, the combination with a tank having a roll holder at one end, of a sliding cover co-- operating with the tank in a light tight manner to move from end to end thereof,

and a fixed film attaching means at the ad- 7 vance end of the cover.

a 2. In a film developin apparatus, the

. combination with a tan: having a roll holder at one end, of a sliding cover for the tank and a depending light guard and film guide at the advance end of the cover.

3. In a film developing apparatus, the combination with a tank having a roll holder at one end, of a sliding cover for the tank, a depending light guard and film guide at the advance end of the cover, and

a film securing device on the cover above the guard.

4. In a film developing apparatus, the

combination with a tank having a sliding cover and adapted to accommodate a film strip in a fiat and extended position, of a roll holder at one end of the tank embodying a raised transverse bar between which and be confined for rotation.

5. In a film developing apparatus the combination with a tank having a roll holder at one end and a sliding cover, ofa

the end of the tank a film roll is adapted to film securing device at the advance end of 1 the cover comprising a transverse bridge piece spaced from the cover and around which the extremity of the film is adapted to,

be looped.

6. In a film developing apparatus, the combination with a tank having a roll holder at one end and a sliding cover for the tank, of a depending light guard and film guide on the advance end of the cover comprising. a flange coextensive with the interior cross section of the tank and having a curved lower edge traveling close to the bottomof the tank as the cover is applied.

7. Ina film developing apparatus, the' combination with an elongated tank, of a cover for the latter having a sliding engagement therewith longitudinally of the .tank

and means for unrolling a film roll contained in the tank through the relative movement-of the cover and tank. i

JOHN A. ROBERTSON.

Witnssesz EDITH WATERSTRAAT, F. M. PAGE, 

